When we think about the past few weeks, our conversations have shifted from what’s the latest thing AI can do, with all its potential, to how are we going to manage this growth. Social media grew unhindered, with the promise of connecting the minds of 8 billion, and, instead, our data and attention has been mined and used against us, resulting in huge numbers of anxious addicts. On the flipside, it makes us all conscious of our ever-growing techno climate and our ability to take action.

Having lived through the birth of the internet to the creation of social media, we know great paradigm shifts follow these waves of technical innovation. We are in a small window of time now, before AI is “let out of the bag” and the moment of “whoopsie” follows. Our experience and upbringing have led us to question what we can learn from the past, how we can impact the present and how we can define the future. There is a Māori saying that we look to the past to navigate an unseen future. So, what lessons can we learn from our ancestors to help guide us through these unprecedented moments or have we been here before?

To retain our integrity and uphold our capability in the process of the artificially intelligent, we are driven by ethics. AI will not be held accountable; it is the reaping of reward or the regret of a consequence unseen that will fall on the beholder – the human. If we understand the broader conversation that exists beyond the sensationalised opinions through trial and error, the shift from ‘what we do’ should naturally become ‘how we do it’. This is the very definition of understanding ethics.

The timing is right. Let’s discuss, reflect and distil substance in our approach, recalibrate our thoughts and let the past be an active guide to form a deeper understanding of what the ‘fine print’ of AI could mean. Our dialogue continues and is perhaps starting to sound less like a conversation and more like a podcast script.

Michael: Te Ari, last time you joked about getting Chat GPT to write the article and there was some humour behind it. This time, I feel the conversation is not necessarily without humour but, rather, facing reality and applying logic. My question to you is how can the past enlighten us in this time of the unknown?

Te Ari: We’re in a pickle, aren’t we? This is about to get more real. Can you be serious and still have fun?

Michael: Yes, perhaps if we put some substance of thought back into the serious, it could make it more fun?

Te Ari: How about this for serious? Going back to your question about the past, as an enlightenment for the unknown, there is a saying in Māori culture – Sir Apirana Ngata in his famous quote “E Tipu e Rea” encouraged his people to thrive and grow using the tools of the modern world “but let your heart be guided by your ancestors”. In the context of artificial intelligence, this quote could mean that, while we should embrace and utilise tools such as AI, we should also honour and draw upon the wisdom and values of our ancestors to ensure that we use these tools in a way that benefits both the health and wellbeing of our communities and the environment.

Michael: I resonate with that sentiment and I think many others will too. It now makes sense why you talked about ancient Greece the other day and some of the learnings that we could gain from a time when AI did not exist but the way of thinking can be adapted to the approach of ethics.

Te Ari: Yes. I was interested in how the Greek philosopher Plato was concerned with the currency of the great poet Homer, who at the time had captivated much of Greek society with stories inspired by the ‘Muses’.

Michael: Yes, it was getting a bit deep. But this is when you started to think about Plato being a person of logic and Homer was effectively the social influencer, who could leave people misguided on the beliefs of something, real or not real.

Te Ari: Yes, exactly. For Plato, the danger of Homer’s influence was that it was ‘falseness with the appearance of truth’. AI today has the ability to influence and mimic or simulate our very core humanistic expression and elicit an emotional response. Truth is getting harder to discern and, for a democratic society, being able to determine fact from fiction is critical.

Michael: This all comes back to the purpose, the ‘why’ and ‘how’ becomes more and more prevalent in the conversation. Confucius said: “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones”, it’s about acknowledging what the moving pieces are.

Te Ari: What do you mean by that? Because I see the moving pieces as the speed of technology and the way people and organisations need to pace themselves to form a stance.

Michael: Yes, you nailed it. The shift of our thought process is not about keeping up but ensuring we start with the small moves that lead to the bigger moves. It’s ‘the long game’. We shouldn’t be worried about the things out of our control. We need to be focused on taking the necessary steps to get us there, one stone at a time, to create something sustainable.

Te Ari: It’s understanding that the work we put in contributes to the bigger picture. But, I guess the flipside is if you could pick up a mountain and move it, that would be AI?

Michael: What is design if there’s only an outcome? What is a story if there’s only an ending?

Te Ari: The answer to those questions could be debatable, depending on what stage of design you are applying the tools to.

Michael: There’s a difference between taking a shortcut and understanding what can be lost as a result of the shortcut when it comes to AI. It’s not just about the outcome, it’s about the process, the journey.

Te Ari: I think leaders within their respective businesses and organisations want to know how AI can help us create something that has value. But, time and care relates to how we value things. Is quality lost in the ‘instant’ of AI? Is value and truth the result of sacrifice?

Michael: This all comes back to the ethical questions that come with AI and the speed at which it’s developing. The pace at which people and organisations consider adopting this technology vs the conversation of efficiency that can be gained clouds the ‘fine print’ that leads to consequence.

Te Ari: We’ve seen the explosion of new tech applications and it’s easy to say that we’re not ready. I think we need to respond to this constant state of rapid transformative change with a clear strategy and a strong sense of purpose and brand identity.

Michael: I agree. To constantly adapt is not impossible but to have a plan for responding to change is essential to leading the way. And we’re not just talking about the industry uptake of AI but, also, the unique expectations of those that are on the creative journey.

Te Ari: I guess the one thing we’ve discussed is understanding, when we use these tools like Midjourney, Dall.E2, Chat GPT and the likes, how to apply your sense of craft and creativity to it. As creatives, the final output doesn’t mean a thing unless there is greater input through the process of refinement.

Michael: That was my initial thought around ‘shortcuts’. In this context, it can be a timesaver, or it could mean you miss out on the things that matter… the serendipitous moments. If you’re not aware of how you got from A to B and landed at C, can you be satisfied with the result without explaining the plot? As the creator, you need to confidently back your reason for the output explored – this points to your integrity.

Te Ari: Yeah and, as a team, it’s also the ability to be considerate to others and why we choose to pick up the tool in the first place. At the end of the day, clarity, trust and informing people of the ‘game plan’ all lead to a better outcome. With AI, we need to be open about our ethical stance and commitment to human-centered development. It’s about alignment and taking clients along on the journey.

Michael: So, let’s kick this into touch and bring it in now. The action plan is that we should keep using the tool, grow and be conscious of what we’re gaining from this process, and form constructive discussions in the background, which allow creatives to prosper in this space.

Te Ari: Exactly. The game plan is trusting your team and, even when the playing field is shifting, understanding everyone’s role. It’s important to acknowledge the inherent bias and AI hallucinations and to bring diversity into the conversation. We need to strategise with different perspectives. It’s also worth reading the UN charter on AI and looking at what other organisations have developed as an AI framework statement.

Michael: The other areas of importance to add to that would be indigenous knowledge, intellectual property, the environment – our planet and everyone that can benefit from this new tech.

Te Ari: That’s right. So maybe we need a pause, just to stop the world from spinning, and to be like the toka tumoana, the steadfast rock that resists the incoming tide. We need to set some ground rules to ensure that what we release from Pandora’s box doesn’t become Homeric trials for the next generation to navigate.

Part 1 in this series can be read here.